Originally Posted by
rotorspeed
This flight was patently so stupid with so many blindingly obvious high risk factors - old plane, single engine, piston engine, night, winter, fairly poor weather, across extensive water, virtually unsurvivably cold water, poorly qualified pilot, inadequately competent pilot, single pilot. And no doubt more.
At least the first four things you list are not "blindingly obvious high risk factors". I can't believe anyone who is honestly involved in aviation would call an 80s PA-46 "old". Nos. 2 and 3 on your list have to be a joke, otherwise half the planes on earth would crash every day.